Pyrexiophobia | Fear of Fever

(py-rek-si-yo-fo-be-ah)

What is Pyrexiophobia?

Pyrexiophobia is the irrational and abnormal fear of contracting a fever and another name for this phobia is Febriphobia. The Pyrexiophobic individual may interpret any rise in temperature as a sign of significant illness. The fear associated with this phobia is not simply a fear of fever, but often expresses a fear of any one of thousands of fever-inducing diseases, such as a “fear of ebola”, etc.

Pyrexiophobia is considered a specific phobia and is also spelled “Pyrexeophobia”.

The root word 'pur' is Greek, meaning 'fire' and the word 'phobia' comes from the Greek word ‘phóbos’ meaning 'fear.'

Causes of Pyrexiophobia

Pyrexiophobia is a specific (or “isolated”) phobia, centered on non-social key factors. Isolated phobias tend to have some previous trauma (often in childhood and often physically injurious) as a root cause; a fear of bees may stem from an injury in childhood, for instance.

Upbringing can also play a role, such as parental warnings about a direct threat (such as “snakes can bite and kill you”) which is especially notable in cases where a threat is more imminent. (An allergy to bees or peanut butter, for instance, would naturally reinforce a real medical concern.)

It is thought that genetics and hereditary factors may play a role in specific phobias, especially those related to a danger of injury. (A primal “fight or flight” reflex may be more easily triggered in those with a genetic predisposition, for instance.)

By contrast, social phobias (like a fear of body odor or touch) are less well-understood, are driven by social anxiety, and are broadly labeled as “social anxiety disorder”.

In all kinds of phobias, external experiences and / or reports can further reinforce or develop the fear, such as seeing a family member or friend who is affected. In extreme cases, indirect exposures can be as remote as overhearing a reference in conversation, seeing something in the news, on TV, or in the movies.

Pyrexiophobia, like most phobias, stems from a subconscious overprotection mechanism, and as with many phobias can also be rooted in an unresolved emotional conflict.

A common underlying cause of this phobia is an obsessive / compulsive personality, which gives rise to the obsessive / compulsive need to check and record body temperature. This condition may naturally be associated with hypochondriasis.